Exhaust passage and pipe for locomotive-cylinders



w. E. WOODAR D.

EXHAUST PASSAGE AND PIPE FOR LOCOMOTIVE CYLINDERS.

APPLICATlON FILED MAR-1.19M.

Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

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w E. WOODARD.

EXHAUST PASSAGE- AND PIPE FOR LOCOMOTIVE CYLINDERS. APPLicATmN FILED MAR. I. 1918.

1,325,068. Patented Dec.16,1919.

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wrnmaivr E. woonean, oF IMa, OHIO.

EXHAUST PASSAGE AND PIPE FOR LOCOMOTIVE-CYLINDERS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. W001iline, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhaust Passages and Pipe for Locomotive-Cylinders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvementin the exhaust passages and pipe for loccmotive cylinders, and is particularly useful in association with locomotives of the articulat'ed type such, for example, as Mallet engines. 7

It has for one of its primary objects the provision of an arrangement whereby back pres-sure in the cylinders is greatly reduced and whereby what is termed blowing over is prevented. My invention also contenr plates the disposition of the exhaust passages and exhaust pipe in such manner that the exhaust steam has the shortest possible distance to travel in passing from the cylinders to the exhaust pipe in the'sinoke box.

The foregoing, together with such other objects as may hereinafter appear, I attain by means of a construction which 1 have illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section through the front end of a locomotive of the Mallet type, equipped with my improvements; Fig. 2 is a partial plan view and section of my improved form of exhaust passages and pipe; and Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of Fig. 2.

My invention will be best understood from a brief description of the prior art, particularly that relating to the exhaust passages for articulated locomotives. In this class of locomotive, because of the use of articulated units, a flexible pipe connection to conduct the steam exhausted from the cylinders to the exhaust pipe located in the boiler smoke box, is required. Exhaust pas-- sages and pipes for this purpose are not new but the exhaust passages and the connections to the exhaust pipe have been so arranged that the exhaust steam has to travel through crooked passages, in some places restricted, as a result of which the undue resistance to the flow of the steam developed a high back pressure on the exhaust side of the pistons. In the Mallet type of locomotives this high back pressure is particularly objectionable because it acts on the low pres- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ec. 16, 1919.

Application filed March 1, 1918. Serial No. 219,776. 7

sure pistons, whose areas are large, often In addition, in the exhaust passages and pipe arrangements ordinarily employed, a blow-over from the exhaust of one cylinder takes place to the other cylinder, this occurring-by reason of the fact that where the exhaust passages from the two cylinders meet, the stream of exhaust steam from one side is not properly directed or controlled, with the result that the back pres sure on the opposite side is raised, thereby reducing the engine work. This effect is often noted in steam engine indicator cards from low pressure cylinders of Mallet lo comotives which cards, particularly at low speeds, show a decided increase in back pres sure at the time the opposite cylinder releases its exhaust.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention as applied to cylinders of the piston valve type in connection with which my improvements have great ad- J vantages. In Fig. 2 one of such cylinders A is shown in cross-section with the valve removed, and from inspection of this figure it will be noted that the exhaust passages 7, which are formed in the cylinder castings, are led from each end of the steam chest cavity to a central opening or passage 8 located approximately on the same horizontal level as the steam chest centers (see Fig. 2). It will be noted that by this arrangement full openings and easy curves are provided, ofl'ering a minimum resistance to the flow of the steam; and in addition this arrangement provides. the shortest possible length of passage. Short pipes 9 connect the exhaust passages 8 in each cylinder with a Y-shaped casting 10 in which the exhaust passages from the two cylinders meet, and which forms a socket 11 to receive the end of the exhaust pipe 12 leading to the smoke box. The pipes 9 are provided with the ball joints 9 at the ends as shown to insure a steam-tight compensating connection.

The details of the exhaust pipe 12 and the specific construction of the ball and slip joints (see Fig. 1) are not new and are of conventional design,-but it is to be noted that the arrangement of the exhaust passages, pipes 9,.and Y casting 10, is such that the openings or passage-ways in the Y casting open directly into the end of the pipe 12, whereby the elbow which is found at such point in the conventional forms of this type of apparatus is eliminated. This elbow has been found to present marked trouble in connection with blow-overs from one cylinder to the other.

It will be noted that the disposition of the parts is such that the path from the steam chest to the pipe 12 is as direct as may be had, the curves are full and easy, and the exhaust steam is delivered into the 'pipel2 so as to decrease the'liability of blow-over. I also provide a restriction in the passages in the Y casting at the points marked a in F1 2 for the purpose of assisting in preventing or reducing the blow-over, the operation of such restriction being to increase the velocity of the exhaust steam and as it Were inject the steam from the converging passages into the common passage. By this operation the steam as it is exhausted from one passage has an entraining effect on the other passage and tends to reduce the pressure in such passage.

1 claim:

1. In a locomotive the combination of a pair of steam chests, a nozzle stand located on one side of the transverse vertical center line of the chests, a horizontally disposed Y- pipe intermediate the chests, laterally opening and inwardly eXtending exhaust passages communicating with the branches of the Y-pipe, and an exhaust pipe connecting the Y-pipe to the nozzle stand.

2. In a locomotive the combination of a pair of steam chests, a nozzle stand located on one side of the transverse vertical center line of the chests, a substantially horizontally disposed Y-pipe intermediate the chests, exhaust passages opening laterally and centrally of the steam chests and leading inwardly therefrom and communicating with the branches of the Y-pipe, and an exhaust pipe connecting the Y-pipe to the nozzle stand.

3. In a locomotive the combination of a pair of steam chests, an exhaust stand located on one side of the transverse vertical center line of the chests, a horizontally disposed Y-pipe intermediate the chests, laterally opening and inwardly extending exhaust passages communicating with the branches of the Y-pipe, and an exhaust pipe connecting the Y-pipe to the exhaust stand, said branches of the Y-pipe being restricted.

at. In a locomotive the combination of a pair of steam chests, a nozzle stand located on one side of the transverse vertical center line of the chests, a horizontally disposed Y-pipe intermediate the chests, laterally opening and inwardly extending exhaust passages communicating with the branches of the Y-pipe, and an exhaust pipe connecting the Y-pipe to the nozzle stand, said Y- pipe having means for increasing the 'velocity of the steam at the point of juncture.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM E. WOODARD. 

